VALEDICTORY

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 October 1928, Page 7

VALEDICTORY

CAPTAIN W. STRACHAN.

Captain William Strachan, who has been head signalman for the Greymouth Harbour Board for the past nineteen years, and has just retired from active duty, on three months’ leave of absence on full pay, prior to permanently retiring, was met yesterday afternoon by the. Harbour Board staff, and presented with a goldmounted umbrella, suitably inscribed. The presentation was made by Mr W. B. Gilbert, the Secretary of the Board, who referred to the long and honourable record held *by Captain Strachan, during his nineteen -years’ service with the Board. The staff desired to ; record the happy relations which had' always existed between Captain Strachan and the staff; and pay a tribute to his uniform courtesy during his long service. The staff was glad that Captain Strachan intended to settle down in Cobden, after a trip to Australia. The gift which he had pleasure in handing him, was emblematic of the weather conditions which had prevailed for the past two months in Greymouth.. He hoped Captain Strachan would be spared to enjoy many years of good health in his .retirement. Captain F. W. Cox (Harbourmaster) endorsed' Mr Gilbert’s remarks, and added that he wished to have no better man under him than Captain Strachan had always been. He had been exemplary in the discharge of his duties, had been punctilious in regard to detail, and always the man one “could set their clock by.” Mr F. Barrowman also paid a tribute to Captain Strachan’s capabilities.

In replying, Captain Strachan expressed his thanks for the very useful gift the staff had given.him, and hoped he would not require to use it too often during the years he still hoped to spend on the West Coast. He had always tried to carry out his duty conscientiously, and in the interest of those who employed him. He thanked them all for their courtesy to him, which made him regret, in a way, that he had come to the parting of the ways, necessitating his saying “goodbye” to the Staff he . had. laboured amongst for the past nineteen years.